The following information applies to incoming freshmen advised in the Natural Sciences Advising Center. While some orientation activities may apply to all CNS students, this information relates mainly to the majors we serve. Check your email before your orientation session for more information and your advising agenda!
All incoming students can stay up-to-date with general information from Longhorn Orientation. CNS students should also be sure to view college-specific information, presentations, and handouts on Canvas.
Follow @CNS_Advising on Instagram during your orientation week for a chance to win CNS swag!
Incoming CNS transfer students will hear more from an academic advisor before your registered orientation session.
-
Before Orientation
- Complete the UTMA, if needed. The UT Math Assessment is required for all incoming CNS first-year freshmen students and any transfer student who wants to take a first-semester Calculus course and does not have transfer credit for pre-Calculus with the appropriate grade.
- Complete the Chemistry Assessment. The UT Chemistry Assessment is required for all students enrolling in CH 301 at UT. Incoming First-year students and any Transfer student who intends to enroll in CH 301 in the upcoming semester should complete the UT Chemistry Assessment.
- Set up a Zoom account. Some orientation activities, such as registration help, may take place on Zoom. Use your UT EID to set up a Zoom account through UT. Test your audio and video capabilities with a friend or family member to make sure you can see and hear everything. For troubleshooting Zoom, please see our guidelines.
-
Connect with your College Readiness Mentor. All incoming CNS freshmen will have access to a mentor who can help you prepare for your first semester at UT. These CNS mentors can help with student life questions, assistance with UTMA retake attempts, and completing the Chemistry Assessment modules. Check your email for contact from your assigned mentor and more information.
For Majors in Chemistry and the Biosciences:
Complete the AP/IB/Dual Credit Survey. Prior to your orientation session, incoming Bioscience freshmen will receive a link to a Qualtrics survey to indicate your AP and IB exams with anticipated scores. The survey also includes space to provide information about any dual credit taken during high school. Even if you did not take any exams or dual credit, this information is valuable to your advisor to help them prepare to make course recommendations during your one-on-one advising session.
Students will still need to send in exam scores to claim applicable credit and send in dual credit transcripts. These topics will be covered in more detail in your CNS Foundations seminar during the fall semester, and you can discuss any questions in the fall semester with an academic advisor.
-
During Orientation
Day 1
- Attend the CNS College Meeting. Learn more about CNS and opportunities for new students with Assistant Deans Anneke Chy and Tepera Holman! More details about the time and location will be shared in an email you receive from CNS prior to your orientation session.
-
Attend a CNS breakout session. Following the CNS College Meeting, students will attend a separate program meeting to prepare for individual advising appointments on Day 2. More details about the location will be shared in an email you receive from CNS prior to your orientation session.
For Majors in the Biosciences:
Review Biosciences Orientation Information. Incoming Biochemistry, Biology, Medical Laboratory Science, and Neuroscience majors can prepare for advising appointments by reviewing Bioscience-specific orientation information, including calculus requirements, using the course schedule, and how to register.
-
Continue attending orientation events. Attending required and optional orientation events are great ways to familiarize yourself with life at UT Austin! Get to know campus and find some friends and organizations to connect with in the fall semester.
Day 2
- Attend your advising appointment (when scheduled). You will receive information about your scheduled advising appointment time from your advisor via email prior to orientation (check your spam folder if you don't see yours in your inbox!). During your advising session, you will meet with an advisor and choose classes for the spring semester based on your major, professional goals, and applicable AP/IB scores and/or transfer credit. Attending your advising appointment is required to be able to register for courses.
- Use the Course Schedule. Look at the Course Schedule to see which courses are being offered and which sections are currently open. After your advising session, you will need to use the course schedule to find unique numbers to plug into the registration system when your registration time opens up. Class locations on the course schedule are subject to change and some courses may be offered in-person, hybrid or online.
- Register for classes. Check your RIS page to see when your registration time becomes available. Use the unique numbers for the courses you planned with your advisor to register for courses.
- Register first using your 99 number. You will receive information about reserved courses for your first semester, including your CNS Foundations or TXT seminar. Register using your 99 number first. Then add additional unique numbers for courses you’re attempting to register for. If you do not use your 99 number first, you will not be able to access registration for your reserved courses!
- Get optional registration help. If you need registration assistance, an advisor will be available to help in person or on Zoom. A Zoom link will be provided to you via email. For help troubleshooting Zoom, please see our guidelines.
- Be flexible. The goal of registration is for you to enroll in courses you need to get started on your degree. Sections offered at your preferred times or taught by your ideal professor may close during registration. Plan to be flexible! Use the Course Schedule to find multiple unique numbers of open sections for your desired courses and alternative options based on what you discussed with your advisor. Be prepared with several backups. You will have an opportunity to attempt to shift your schedule around during the Add/Drop Period before the semester begins.
-
After Orientation
- Pay your tuition. Pay your tuition by 5 p.m. the day of your deadline (you can find it on your “My Tuition Bill” page) so you don’t get dropped from your classes! If you are paying with financial aid, you can read some FAQs. Apply for a Tuition Loan to cover your costs, if necessary.
-
Visit the Health Professions Office and CNS Career Services websites. If you are thinking about applying for medical school, dental school or any other pre-health professional school after graduation from UT, you will have access to the Health Professions Office for pre-health advising services beginning in the fall semester. You can take a look at the resources on their website, where they have put together everything from prerequisite lists to DIY planning guides.
If you’re not sure what you’d like to do with your degree after graduation, you can get an idea of what other graduates from UT have gone on to do using the resources for your major put together by CNS Career Services. They also help students who are planning to apply to graduate school.
-
Explore other resources. Interested in undergraduate research, studying abroad, and other hands-on experiences? Check out the CNS Office of Experiential Learning! The CNS Experiential Learning Office provides students with meaningful opportunities to enhance their academic journey through hands-on experiences. By fostering these experiences, they empower students to develop critical skills, build professional networks, and prepare for successful careers.
We’ve collected some additional resources new students might be interested in checking out before classes begin. Start exploring academic and non-academic resources!
Orientation Resources
The resources below will help with common registration questions for Day 2 and introduce you to other campus resources to prepare for the fall semester!
Registration Resources
UT RIS and Registration System
How to run and read your Degree Audit (IDA)
Manage your waitlists with info from OneStop and MPA Advising
For Majors in the Biosciences:
Common AP credit to claim (discuss with an advisor first!)
How to claim AP credit (discuss with an advisor first!)
Academic Resources
Pre-Health Professions, Pre-Grad, and Career Planning Resources
Zoom Troubleshooting
Some orientation activities, like receiving registration help, will require setting up a Zoom account. Follow the instructions below for troubleshooting.
- Set up Zoom with your UT EID. Use your UT EID to set up a Zoom account through UT. Use UT’s Zoom setup instructions if you’re having trouble. Using your UT EID to set up your account will allow you to access UT meetings and events. You will not be able to access UT Zoom meetings without logging in through a Zoom account.
- Test your audio and video. Use Zoom’s audio settings to test your audio and microphone through Zoom’s audio settings (access by clicking on the arrow next to the Mute button).
- Practice calling a friend or family member (they do not need to have a UT Zoom account) to make sure you can see and hear everything.
- Ask your Orientation Advisor (OA) to help you test your Zoom settings if you're having trouble.
- Exit/quit Zoom and rejoin the meeting. Sometimes audio problems will resolve themselves if you exit or quit Zoom, reopen Zoom and attempt to rejoin the meeting.
- Use your computer's audio. Unplugging or disconnecting your headphones and/or external microphone can resolve some audio problems. Try disconnecting these items and see if using your computer’s input and output resolves the issue.
- Call into Zoom. If your audio malfunctions, you can call into the Zoom meeting using phone numbers provided by your advisor.
- Contact your advisor via email. Please contact your advisor via email for registration assistance if you are still experiencing issues.